On November 14,
1889, Nellie Bly, the crusading young female reporter for Joseph Pulitzer’s World
newspaper, left New York City by steamship on a quest to break the record for
the fastest trip around the world. Also departing from New York that day, and
heading in the opposite direction by train, was a young journalist from The
Cosmopolitan magazine, Elizabeth Bisland. Each woman was determined to
outdo Jules Verne’s fictional hero Phileas Fogg and circle the globe in less
than eighty days. The dramatic race that ensued would span twenty-eight
thousand miles, captivate the nation, and change both competitors’ lives
forever.

The two women were a
study in contrasts. Nellie Bly was a scrappy, hard-driving, ambitious reporter
from Pennsylvania coal country who sought out the most sensational news
stories, often going undercover to expose social injustice. Genteel and
elegant, Elizabeth Bisland had been born into an aristocratic Southern family,
preferred novels and poetry to newspapers, and was widely referred to as the
most beautiful woman in metropolitan journalism. Both women, though, were
talented writers who had carved out successful careers in the hypercompetitive,
male-dominated world of big-city newspapers. Eighty Days brings these
trailblazing women to life as they race against time and each other, unaided
and alone, ever aware that the slightest delay could mean the difference
between victory and defeat.

A vivid real-life
re-creation of the race and its aftermath, from its frenzied start to the
nail-biting dash at its finish, Eighty Days is history with the heart of
a great adventure novel. Here’s the journey that takes us behind the walls of
Jules Verne’s Amiens estate, into the back alleys of Hong Kong, onto the
grounds of a Ceylon tea plantation, through storm-tossed ocean crossings and
mountains blocked by snowdrifts twenty feet deep, and to many more unexpected
and exotic locales from London to Yokohama. Along the way, we are treated to
fascinating glimpses of everyday life in the late nineteenth century, an era of
unprecedented technological advances, newly remade in the image of the
steamship, the railroad, and the telegraph. For Nellie Bly and Elizabeth
Bisland, two women ahead of their time in every sense of the word, were not
only racing around the world. They were also racing through the very heart of
the Victorian age.

Quotes & Awards

“Lively and vivid…Goodman is a master storyteller, with no agenda to push, and his armchair tour is a treat to read.”

Columbus Dispatch

“In his delightful, well-researched book…Matthew Goodman brings to life the two women, the complicated, fast-changing times, and the way the whole country was swept up in their parallel adventures. This is fully documented history, drawing on contemporary accounts, letters, and the women’s own writing, but Goodman crafts it into a page-turner.”

Minneapolis Star Tribune

“In this exciting new book, [Goodman] recounts the travels and travails of two self-made feminists, stirring us in the new millennium, just as their accounts of their adventures did in the nineteenth century.”

Barnes & Noble, editorial review

“Deftly mixing social history into an absorbing travel epic, Goodman conveys the exuberant dynamism of a very unfusty Victorian era obsessed with speed, power, publicity, and the breaking of every barrier.”

Publishers Weekly

“Armchair travel at its best.”

Library Journal

“A richly detailed double narrative of the adventures of two young women journalists in a race against time.”

Kirkus Reviews

“[Eighty Days] is a dazzling tour of the world at a time when travel routes were just opening up; a look at sensationalist journalism and pop culture in pre-Kardashian America; and a testimony to how hard women had to fight to get work and achieve respect as journalists.”

BookPage

“A fully satisfying portrait of the era.”

Bust

“Matthew Goodman takes readers on a riveting ride back to 1889 for the original amazing race…Goodman’s eighteen months of meticulous research and his compelling narrative nonfiction bring their stories to life in vivid period detail.”

American Way

A Barnes & Noble Best Book for February 2013

Selected for the March 2013 Indie Next List

A New York Times Bestseller

Listener Opinions

by Diane Greiner | 1/27/2014

" This author has written this non-fiction account of Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland with fluidity. It read like a novel. With many interesting facts along the way, it brought to light a historical event that many people probably never heard of, especially in current times. Matthew Goodman's writing style lends itself well to making an enjoyable non-fiction read, even for those people who normally wouldn't pick up non-fiction material. "

by Beth | 1/25/2014

" This book explores a subject I knew nothing about when I picked it up, but it's a fascinating one. Two adventuresome, gutsy Victorian ladies set off on an around-the-world race that was documented within their society. The subject is fascinating. The story, which sticks more to facts than fanciful imaginings of the characters involved, reads like a documentary or biography. It isn't dry, per se, but it's a third person narration. That's not to say that Bly and Bisland don't come alive on the page- they do! But it isn't a quick read. I recommend it for lovers of truth-is-stranger-than-fiction stories, Victoriana, women (Bly and Bisland are inspiring in their fearlessness and practicality), and history. "

by Debbie | 1/16/2014

" Really enjoyed this true story of two female journalists in the late 19th Century. An interesting glimpse into the times. Read it with my Mom. When we were halfway through, we were halfway around the world. A wonderful trip! Definitely time well spent. "

by Daniel Farabaugh | 12/27/2013

" I very much enjoyed this book. The author did a great job of balancing out the two stories and really kept you guessing as to who was going to win the race. "

" For me this was a very interesting read. I had not heard of either Nellie Bly or Elizabeth Brisland before hearing about this book. "

Lisa | 9/20/2013

" Interesting in terms of women in history. "

Lisa Mondori | 6/30/2013

" Fun and engaging, and in the end the less competitive introvert had the more fulfilling life. Sometimes a bit repetitive, as the two women were following the same route in opposite directions, but I suppose that was inevitable. "

Candyce Ragan | 6/8/2013

" Very good from an historical perspective. Lots of fun facts you might not have known. Also great insight into both of these individuals. "

Sharon | 3/7/2013

" Enjoyable -- great descriptions of the places these two woman visited during their world tour. Sometimes I found myself racing through, like I was on the race, and had to slow down. "

Shawna | 3/4/2013

" The story itself is amazing, and the women are interesting. My only complaint is that I had a hard time with the repetitiveness of the author. "

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